One Hundred Miles

One of the most important factors to look for in a hotel, if you are spending any time in Florence in the summer, is outside space. If you have deep pockets, you couldn't do better than the Torre di Bellosguardo, a four-star villa hotel perched on a hill to the south of the city with a fabulous view over the steaming masses below. Formal Italian gardens and a pool make a magical setting, and the bedrooms are furnished very much in keeping with their 16th-century origins with, of course, the addition of all the usual comforts you would expect from a hotel at this price.